CPD activity

Before you start reading this article, think about:

• What do I want to learn?
• What will I gain from this learning?
• What will my employer gain?
• What difference will it make to people who use my services?

Parkinson’s is the second most common neurodegenerative condition in the UK, with approximately 120,000 to 130,000 diagnosed cases – many more affected people may remain undiagnosed. The risk of developing Parkinson’s rises with age and there is a higher incidence and prevalence in men than women.

Parkinson’s is characterised by the degeneration of the dopamine-producing cells in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter partly responsible for controlling normal voluntary movement and coordination. The exact cause of this decline is unknown.

However, there are some genetic and environmental factors that can increase a person’s risk of developing the condition. For example, high exposure to pesticides and bacterial and viral infections have been linked with Parkinson’s, although the evidence remains unclear. In most cases, the condition is not inherited, but it has been estimated that having a parent with Parkinson’s increases the lifetime risk of developing the disease from two to six per cent.